CustomTools for SolidWorks

Focus on Real Design, Automate the Rest

Tired of spending too much time naming, printing, converting, copying or managing your SolidWorks data? Let CustomTools do it for you. CustomTools offers a suite of time saving tools fully integrated into SolidWorks that will help you to enhance your creativity and productivity.

CustomTools allows you to reduce repetitive and complex tasks and manage data so that it can be re-used across the entire enterprise, allowing you to work more intuitively, effectively, and accurately.

CustomTools Packages

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CustomTools Basic:

Custom Property Management

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

Limited functionalities in the Tab Builder and EPDM data card

Lack of data consistency

Offers the very basics

Custom properties are an important part of your data management

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

Search documents based on property value

Numerous tool available to customize your property pane

Search and link data with an external data source (e.g. ERP)

Copy cut list item properties as drawing properties

BENEFITS:

Easily customize your SolidWorks drawing template

Add numerous functionalities to SolidWorks and EPDM

Define your properties with consistency

Avoid unnecessary typing through automation

Printing & Conversion

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

Done manually

Extremely time consuming

Files can easily be forgotten

Very limited functionalities

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

Associate a sheet format with a printer, paper size and orientation

Supports multiple printers

Batch print assembly drawings in 5 clicks

BENEFITS:

Drawings are always printed with right settings

Save considerable amount of time

All drawings related to the assembly are printed

Fully automate the printing of your SolidWorks files

Automatic File Naming

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

File names must be manually typed

Document codes are shared manually

Unsafe and time consuming

Lack of file naming consistency between designers and files

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

Use a custom property value to name your documents

Combine multiple custom properties together

Document codes are automatically shared between users

Numerous tools available

Key-Value pair (codes)

Unlimited number of sequences

Sequences can freely be defined

Retrieve property value from the parent

Associate a project name/number to the file name

Generate a drawing per configuration

Save a property in UPPER CASE

Define preceding / trailing characters

Project or custom property specific sequence numbering

File name reflects changes in property value

Copy and rename existing drawings automatically

Supports virtual and internal components

Supports all SolidWorks file operations such as Form New Assembly

BENEFITS:

Automate the way that you are naming your files

Supports top-down and bottom-up design

Generate advanced file name easily

Eliminate file naming errors and duplicate file names

Open Drawings of 3D Model

Quickly locate all drawings made from a part or assembly

Manage drawings based on model configuration

The drawing names and folder can differ from referenced model

Select a part within your assembly to open its drawings

Advanced Search

Search SolidWorks files based on property value

Fully customizable search pane including free search

Search files within a specific project

Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users

Where Used

Locate in which assemblies and drawings a part is being used

Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users

Select a part within your assembly to locate where it is being used

Avoid costly mistakes caused by changes to models being used in many assemblies

Quickly Insert Notes

Create your own note group of custom properties

Insert customized notes in your merged DXF / DWG files

No need to type over and over the same notes

Open Folder

Locate files in Windows Explorer

Open the folder of the selected SolidWorks file

Access the file in one click

Useful for instance to change a Read-Only mode

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CustomTools Professional:

Generate Excel Report

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

Limited functionality to generate Excel reports in SolidWorks or EPDM

Extremely time consuming method

Mistakes occur easily

For all those reasons, companies do not want to take them into use

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

Easily produce customized Excel report

Insert SolidWorks previews

Possibility to retrieve data from your ERP

Create drawing listings, BOM report, spare part list

BENEFITS:

Generate an Excel report with just 2 mouse clicks

Can serve many different use cases

Eliminate data entry errors

Fully customizable for your special needs

Custom Property Management

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

Limited functionalities in the Tab Builder and EPDM data card

Lack of data consistency

Offers the very basics

Custom properties are an important part of your data management

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

Search documents based on property value

Numerous tool available to customize your property pane

Search and link data with an external data source (e.g. ERP)

Copy cut list item properties as drawing properties

BENEFITS:

Easily customize your SolidWorks drawing template

Add numerous functionalities to SolidWorks and EPDM

Define your properties with consistency

Avoid unnecessary typing through automation

ERP Link

ISSUE FACED in SolidWorks:

Not possible to link ERP items to SolidWorks models

Requires a lot of manual data typing

Time consuming

The same data is entered several times

SOLUTION in CustomTools:

Search and link item in your ERP with your SolidWorks model

Export your BOM directly to your ERP

Automate the creation of new items in your ERP

Supports most ERP systems

Business logic can be fully defined per customer's needs without need to tailor the product

Automatically insert sheet with flattened view without sheet format, 1:1 scaled and all annotations including dimensions and bend lines hidden

Manage cut list item custom properties

Bounding Box

Supports weldments, sheet metal, parts and assemblies

Updates automatically when 3D model geometry changes

Add bounding box properties such as dimensions to the file's custom properties

Possibility to define an offset

Open Drawings of 3D Model

Quickly locate all drawings made from a part or assembly

Manage drawings based on model configuration

The drawing names and folder can differ from referenced model

Select a part within your assembly to open its drawings

Advanced Search

Search SolidWorks files based on property value

Fully customizable search pane including free search

Search files within a specific project

Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users

Where Used

Locate in which assemblies and drawings a part is being used

Extremely valuable for Workgroup PDM and SolidWorks users

Select a part within your assembly to locate where it is being used

Avoid costly mistakes caused by changes to models being used in many assemblies

Quickly Insert Notes

Create your own note group of custom properties

Insert customized notes in your merged DXF / DWG files

No need to type over and over the same notes

Open Folder

Locate files in Windows Explorer

Open the folder of the selected SolidWorks file

Access the file in one click

Useful for instance to change a Read-Only mode

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{tab title=Viewer}

A Powerful Viewer

Runs without SolidWorks installation

Offers all the viewing capabilities of eDrawings

View the CustomProperties

Batch printing

Locate where a model is being used

Open the drawings of the active 3D model

Advanced search toolA powerful viewer that uses e-drawings technologies and runs without SolidWorks installation. In addition to providing all e-drawings capabilities, you are able to batch print your documents (Note: the batch conversion is not available in the viewer). You can access the custom properties defined in your SolidWorks documents. You can also search documents based on their custom properties. The where used and open drawings features are also maintained in the viewer.

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The Administration Tool

Manage the CustomTools database

Manage your CustomTools profiles, users, user group, permissions, dictionaries and languagesThis tools acts like a database server environment that can be used to managed your profiles and their rights. As it runs without SolidWorks installation, it allows access your dictionaries to non SolidWorks users. This can be very useful if your translations are managed outside the design department.